4 Princes

III

The wolf thought to himself, "What a juicy morsel she'll be for me! Now, how am I going to catch her?"
(Brothers Grimm: Little Red Cap)

ADAM
"ALL OF US OR just you and Adam?"

"He's going to be hearing from me all night. He can't do that! I'm 17!"

"I knew it was coming, but right now!? In the middle of the war?"

"How could we consider peace!?"

We were yelling too many questions for Rook to understand but all of them had to be answered. Did dad specify who? Did he really expect us to marry in the middle of a war?

Rook was a messenger, and we were all shooting him with questions even he probably didn't know the answers too.

My biggest question was how he was going to get Hera to marry. If Hera had to find a Princess, father had another thing coming. She wasn't ready to be married. Especially not at 17.

Rook stood up and banged his hand on the table. "All of us!" He yelled. "All of us," He repeated, a little quieter, a little more composed.

Hera and Jack looked to each other, an evil glint to their eyes. "Alcohol?" Hera asked.

"Alcohol." Jack stood up and walked to the side and brought back the platter that held all of the alcohol my grandfather drank.

Alcohol. It was definitely God's gift to the world.

"Slide me some," I said.

Rook gave us all a disappointed look. He always was the one to stop fun and be responsible. A couple times throughout my life I thought that he would make a better King than me.

But, I knew it was my right. And while he was often responsible, Rook had a knack for following his heart and not his head. I wasn't the brightest Prince, but I knew when to separate my wants from the Kingdom's needs. Rook would struggle with that.

Jack slid a glass to me and I downed it, the warm liquid burning my throat and making my mouth tingle. "Jack, can you just... give me the bottle?"

Jack rolled his eyes but handed me the bottle anyways, knowing that he wasn't going to win an argument with me about alcohol.

"So? What do we do? If we don't marry someone within the next month then... dad declares peace with Worthwell?" Hera took a sip of her drink and set it back down. Her nails clinked on the glass, tapping satisfyingly.

Rook nodded sadly. "Yes."

"I'm not marrying some bitchy, gold-digging, wench." Jack always was rude, mean. He never planned on marrying. Quite frankly, I think it was less because he didn't want a wife than him knowing nobody would ever want him as a husband. The Prince title could only get you so far.

"Hey!" Rook shouted, leaning towards him. "Don't disrespect women like that." Ah, Rook. I didn't think Rook and Jack would ever get along. However, even I had to admit, those two could clear out a legion together all on their own. They made a great team.

Jack scoffed. "I might as well plant another beanstalk and walk in the clouds, take my chances with the giants again." He laid his forehead on the table and groaned. "We don't need to be at war, do we?" He asked.

"Yes!" Rook argued. "You want that land so you can still be in power and not be Adam's puppet." Rook looked at me and then shrugged one shoulder. "No offense, Adam."

I smirked. "None taken." I took another large swig from the bottle, burping loudly. "I can't let those people starve and continue to be treated like they are." I couldn't let myself do nothing while people were dying across the way.